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Study Tips for Nursing Students

Studying is a vital but equally awful part of nursing school. It takes intention and repetition to retain and understand the sheer volume of material presented to you. Many students find this to be the most difficult part of being a student in a nursing program. Everyone knows they need to study, but many don’t know how to study. With a few tips, we will steer you toward engaging and productive study habits.

 

MAKE A PLAN

Planning and breaking up the content into smaller pieces help you stay focused and avoid getting overwhelmed. Your instructor plans out the content for the semester so that you can learn information in a methodical manner. Studying the content is no different. Knowing when exams are being given allows you to backtrack and create a study schedule that reinforces the material you just learned in class and builds a framework for future topics.

Finding and setting the time aside for studying allows you to plan your personal life as well. Setting a specific study time also allows others to plan and will let a classmate or two study with you. Schedules are tight with the responsibilities of nursing school, so creating space for your study time not only ensures you can study with less distractions but also means you can find times to take a break and still be a normal human.

 

SET A SPECIFIC GOAL

We do not recommend going into a study session without a specific plan, goal, and/or topic. This approach generally winds up with you spending that time getting organized or reviewing the same material you have already mastered. It is so easy to get sidetracked or waste time gathering notes if you haven’t planned appropriately. Knowing exactly what pathology, anatomy, or theories you need to review helps you focus on what is most important for this particular timeframe and leave the rest for later. Studying multiple topics and jumping around pulls focus and makes it easier to get discouraged. The satisfaction of completing a goal is often the little boost we all need.

 

KNOW YOUR LEARNING STYLE

Learning isn’t one size fits all which can make it difficult for nursing instructors to present the information from the text in a manner that is beneficial to each individual student. Adapting the material into a format that your brain likes can be a frustrating endeavor. If you struggle with absorbing information from reading a textbook, then that isn’t the right study method for you. You will most likely end up repeating the study session to learn the material. Knowing your learning style up front will help you create study methods that allow you to learn effectively the first time. There are many online resources available to help you identify whether you learn through visual, auditory, or kinesthetic means. Keep in mind you may learn well with any or all of these. I am equal parts of each, so finding a specific study method was difficult for me. It took trial and error to figure out what topics required which method. These brief summaries below may help you get a better idea of which type of learner you are.

VISUAL

  • Prefer looking at graphs, charts, and pictures to understand information

  • Remember information more easily when you write things down

  • Learn better in lecture if you are watching and not just listening

    If this looks familiar, you are probably a visual learner. Studying tips for you include having a tidy, well-lit area for studying to minimize distractions. Transpose content into pictures, charts, or concept maps rather than traditional outlines. Color-coding your information will help you easily distinguish the category of information and create a faster recall. Making and using flashcards keeps you engaged in the content and allows you to include simple visual clues. It is important for you to spend time understanding the big picture first and then focusing in on the details. Knowing the basics of theories creates building blocks of knowledge. With these nuggets of knowledge, you can use critical thinking to eliminate incorrect answers on exams and later connect complex ideas together.

AUDITORY

  • Recall information better when you hear it rather than reading It

  • Summarize information out loud to help with memorization

  • Have talents in music

  • Concentrate better with soft music playing in The background

    If this rings a bell, you may be an auditory learner. You might find it helpful to record lectures to listen to again later. Multiple exposures to the material and provides the opportunity to rewind and re-listen if you don’t understand. Explain the material out loud in your own words to classmates or even the dog. Use study groups for discussions and new ways to approach the content. You can also use wordless music as background noise while studying to help you focus. I would suggest music that isn’t intended to have lyrics because I often found myself singing the words out loud anyway.

KINESTHETIC

  • Need to touch and feel objects to learn new information

  • Would rather demonstrate with objects than explain verbally

  • Prefer group work over completing projects individually

  • Use your body to explain concepts and illustrate stories. (Hand-talkers)I
    If these can feel yourself doing these, then you are most likely a kinesthetic learner? It is important for you to take breaks often. Learn new concepts and review material while doing something active (treadmill, walking with recorded lectures). Chewing gum or eating snacks while studying keeps your body engaged alongside your brain. Embrace clinicals and simulations and use them to get detailed explanations while doing the skill with your hands. The tie between muscle memory and your brain is strong. Use that connection to your advantage.

 

FIND A STUDY BUDDY

Some people work great together as study partners. They hold each other accountable and challenge each other to continually learn. Others, not so much. Find a person who you work well with and who is willing to be held accountable, too. It is extra beneficial if that person understands concepts you struggle with, and visa versa. Teaching the material to someone else solidifies your own understanding and helps both of you when put into plain language rather than textbook speak. Constructive conversation can bring new insights to the study session and clarify concepts when others explain in their own words.

 

TAKE BREAKS

There comes a point where your brain needs a break. Studying shouldn’t be a marathon session. Limit study sessions to 45-50 minutes and then take a break! Much like your muscles, at some point you will reach brain fatigue, and you will no longer retain any of the information. Taking a break for as few as 10 minutes lets your brain rest and serves as a great way to quiz yourself after the break to see how much you remember. Go get a snack, go get some sunshine on your face, or go for a walk. Anything that makes you feel human again and rejuvenates you for another study session.

 

REVIEW

It is said that it takes three exposures for information to become permanent. Receiving the information in lecture, heading home to review, and adding in additional study time later will help you remember the material. When you are in separate study sessions, take a 10-minute break and then review what you just covered. This will not only give you feedback on how successful your study sessions have been but also indicate if more review of that topic is needed. Use your break to reset your mind and adjust your study method as needed. For some people, a lot of repetition is the only way to get certain concepts or terms to stick. Some of us took A&P three times before we could remember the Krebs cycle. Flash cards are a great study tool as well. You are seeing the material when you make them and reinforcing the information every time you use them. Flash cards are portable, can give you visual clues, and can help every type of learner.

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LIMIT DISTRACTIONS

Facebook. Instagram. TikTok. Email. Text messages. They are the nemesis of successful studying. It is so easy to “check one thing” after hearing the notification on your phone. Before you know it, you have been laughing at LeaRNCo reels for over an hour and you have not accomplished what you set out to do. To stay on track, it is best to remove all those distractions from your study area. Put your phone away in another room. Turn off notifications on your laptop. Grab some noise cancelling headphones or ear buds and block out everything around you with silence or some upbeat music. If you are easily distracted by tasks at home, find a local coffee shop or library where you can isolate yourself for a focused study session. We all have vices that serve as distractions. If you know what pulls your attention away, eliminate the temptations and then partake later as a reward for your hard work!

 

GET SOME SLEEP

Sleep deprivation is an unfortunate side effect of nursing programs and, might I add, an effective form of torture. can impair your ability to learn and remember new information.  Getting good sleep is your ace in the hole when it comes to studying.  Getting consistent, good quality sleep increases recall of the information you have absorbed throughout the day and creates connections between new and old information.  A rested mind can better meld together concepts, disease processes, and symptoms.  Cutting back on sleep is the number one way to sabotage yourself. Is it possible to make it

through nursing school and clinicals without sleep? Absolutely. But with adequate sleep you are going to reduce errors, increase cognition, and bulk up your ability to easily recall the answer. It is important to have a healthy balance between spending time hitting the books and letting your head hit the pillow.

 

ASK FOR HELP/FIND RESOURCES

If you are truly struggling with a concept or information, you instructor is the expert. Schedule office hours and go in with a plan and specific questions. You are paying tuition, so they are a resource you have already paid for. However, that also comes with limitations in office hours and availability, so other means may be more convenient. Hiring tutors is another great way to get a little help on subjects that stump you. These are usually advertised on school bulletin boards or message boards. Otherwise, aquick Google search will most likely turn up someone in your area. You should also consider the resources around you. Fellow students may have a better grasp on a concept and be willing to talk it through with you. If you have colleagues in the medical field, they may also be available to help walk you through concepts they have seen in their own career. And then there are your clinicals! You have nurses at your disposal all day, and they can give you real-life examples that may help you better understand their answer.

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REWARD YOURSELF

Remember that you are working hard and that you do in fact deserve down time now and then. Whether that is a pedicure, a massage, a smoothie, or a coffee date with a friend, give yourself something to look forward to and to reward all of your hard work. If you don’t have even a few moments of rest, it is more difficult to face the tough parts of life. A small inconvenience becomes a big deal and your ability to cope drastically decreases. You can’t possibly live at 100% all the time, so it is important to find and create opportunities to recharge. Remember that you are a human being, not just a nursing student robot.

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